AceShowbiz - Cynthia Erivo learned to take better care of herself after suffering a mental and physical "breakdown" following her emotional turn as Harriet Tubman.

The actress has been generating Oscar buzz for her role as the slave-turned-political activist in "Harriet", but she admits the performance took its toll on her health and she tells Variety she suffered "a proper breakdown" after filming wrapped.

"In the middle of the night, my body shut down," she shares. "I got really ill out of nowhere. I felt like I was drowning."

The star reveals it took a good cry to get her through the difficult period, allowing her to let the demands of the production go.

"Having the release was important," she adds, "because I think it was the first time I had let go."